Pumpkin Erissery/ Pumpkin Coconut Curry (Kerala Style).

“Pumpkin Erissery/ Pumpkin Coconut Curry (Kerala Style)” … a traditional mildly spiced curry from Kerala, God’s own country prepared with pumpkin (dudde/ kaddu/ laal bhopla/ kumbala kayi/ mathanga) … a must to have during Onam Sadya/ Festive Days to be served with rice … Yummilicious ….

** Pumpkin (dudde/ kaddu/ laal bhopla/ kumbala kayi/ mathanga) comes in various shades of yellow and darker the color healthier are its contents. Its rich in antioxidants and vitamins while low on calories making it a favorite of those on diet. This is a very easy dish to prepare and I must admit I ate it for the first time at a friends place a few years back after which I have been very eager to prepare the same. As I do not much about the history of the curry I cannot write much about it except that it is a must in Kerala during festive or auspicious occasions. Do try out this delicious side dish, though served with rice, I served it with Bajra- Atta Parathas (Pear Millet- Wheat Roti) and it was an excellent combo.

** Here is my recipe for “Pumpkin Erissery/ Pumpkin Coconut Curry (Kerala Style)” ….

** Ingredients :

Pumpkin/ Lal Bhopla/ Kaddu/ Dudde : 500 gms approximately

Turmeric/ Haldi Powder : ½ tsp

Red Chilly Powder/ Mirsange Pitti/ Mirchi Pitti : 1 tsp

Salt/ Namak/ Meeta : to taste

** Masala to be Ground :

Coconut/ Soyi/ Nariyal : ½ cup freshly grated

Green Chilly/ Tarni Mirsanga/ Hari Mirchi : 3-4

Kashmiri Red Chilly/ Kumte Mirsanga/ Byadgi Mirchi : 2-3

Cumin Seeds/ Jeera : 1 tsp

** For Tempering/ Seasoning/ Tadka/ Pannaka :

Coconut Oil/ Nariyal Tel/ Narlel Tela : 2 tsp

Coconut/ Soyi/ Nariyal : 2-3 tblsp freshly grated

Mustard Seeds/ Rai/ Sasam : 1 tsp

Black Gram Dal/ Urad Dal : ½ tsp

Curry Leaves/ Kadipatta/ Karbevu : 10-12 fresh ones.

Dry Red Chillies/ Sukki Mirsanga/ Sukhi Mirchi : 2-3

** Slice off the outer thick skin, inner core and seeds from pumpkin and cut them into pieces of say about an inch in size. Rinse under running water and put them into a thick bottomed vessel with ½ to 1 cup of water, haldi powder, chilly powder and salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and let cook till 70% done.

** Masala to be Ground : Add coconut, jeera, green chillies, red chillies into a mixer grinder and grind to a very smooth paste with little bit of water. The masala should be ground to a very fine consistency with minimum water.

** Remove and add masala to cooked pumpkin pieces, mix well, add little bit off water only if necessary to bring to a thick gravy consistency. Cover and let cook stirring often for 3-4 minutes, till masala and pumpkin pieces have cooked well. The pumpkin pieces should be cooked to 100%, they should be soft yet hold the shape. When done, remove from fire and keep it aside covered while we prepare seasoning.

** For Tempering/ Seasoning/ Tadka/ Pannaka : Heat coconut oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds, when they crackle add urad dal and fry till light browned. Add curry leaves, red chillies and fry for 1-2 seconds. Lastly add coconut and fry until evenly light brown in color, do not burnt the coconut or the taste will be lost.

** Note : Traditionally coconut oil is used for seasoning and it tastes the best bringing out a unique flavor of its own, so do try it once. In my home too, we often use coconut oil as we Konkani's always prefer it for seasoning or topping on certain dishes. However, if you prefer to use any other oil of your choice you may do so too.

** Remove and add seasoning to the pumpkin curry and mix well. Check salt and add if necessary, cover and keep aside for 15 minutes and Pumpkin Erissery/ Curry is ready to be served. The curry thickens and dries up on resting, if you find it too dry, then you can mix in a few tablespoons of hot water before serving.

** “Pumpkin Erissery/ Pumpkin Coconut Curry (Kerala Style)” is done and ready to be served. Traditionally it’s served as a side dish along with rice and other dishes during festive days or on given occasions. I served it with Bajra- Atta Parathas (Pear Millet- Wheat Roti), along with chutney and tomato soup and it was an excellent combo for lunchtime. Do try out this recipe if you like pumpkin, its very easy to prepare and very tasty too and above all remember its filled with nutrition. I must mention here that it is not a spicy dish and you can increase/ decrease the spice level by adding more green chillies while grinding. After all dishes are always as per individual taste.